Have you just bought Buzz Aldrin’s Space Program Manager and aren't sure where to start? We’ve got you covered with a beginner’s guide that’s sure to see you right and well on your way to launching a manned spacecraft to the Moon.

The Basics

Don’t be intimidated - Buzz Aldrin’s Space Program Manager doesn’t have the friendliest of tutorials. It’s very reminiscent of an older PC game’s, which makes sense given its origins.

Set aside an hour for that tutorial and don’t skip over it - Maybe consider writing a couple of notes as you go along.

Learn what each building does - The key shows you where everything is. The Astronauts/Cosmonauts center is there for recruiting and training your keen explorers, Public Affairs is for seeing how things are going and checking your budget, while Headquarters is for managing the various programs you’ll soon be launching, such as rockets and payload R&D.

Elsewhere, Mission Control Center and the SET center are there for recruiting personnel, such as scientists and researchers. The Vehicle Assembly Building helps you develop physical units, while the Museum provides a place to read about the history behind everything.

Space Agency, by Nooleus, is a rocket launching simulation game. The app lets you build rockets, launch satellites, create a space station, and explore the solar system. Nooleus has released the latest update with a ton of new features! Version 1.4.0 gives you a slew of new missions, parts, and sandboxes as well as allowing you to see inside your spacecraft, carry and transfer cargo, and share sandboxes with friends. Space Agency has also gotten better graphics, improved controls, and a bunch of other quality of life upgrades.

You can download Space Agency for $1.99 and check out all the new stuff.

Flop Rocket, by Butterscotch Shenanigans, is a rage-inducing physics game where you try desperately to pilot your spaceship through a a cave filled with spaceducks and enormous rockworms.

With each failure you'll earn money that will allow you to upgrade your pitiful ship into something a bit more space worthy. Flop Rocket also allows you to play auto-generated missions based on your skill level. It uses touch wheel controls that let you flip your rocket around quickly, but you can opt for tap controls instead.

Flop Rocket will be free to download next week. You'll also be able to upgrade your account for $2.99 get more content, remove ads, get cloud syncing, friend leader boards, and cross-game perks.

You may start out in a heap of junk spaceship to begin with in Plancon: Space Conflict, by HeroCraft, but as you explore the wide open universe you'll have a chance to fly your own battleship. The sci-fi RPG allows you to create your own character and crew, then fight against aliens who have tried to invade Earth.

For some added variety, you can even choose between real time shooting or turn-based fighting when you encounter alien ships. Plancon has a bunch planets to explore as well as lots of ships to buy and upgrade on the black market. Will you choose to be a pirate, a merchant, a thief, or something entirely different?

You can discover the vastness of space exploration in Plancon: Space Conflict for $2.99 on the App Store.

One of the more exciting gaming developments that has come about thanks to the rise of tablets and the iPad in particular is the resurgence of the adventure game. Touchscreen gaming lends itself perfectly to this kind of experience, and various indie developers are embracing its potential.

One such development studio is that of Belfast-based Billy Goat Entertainment. The studio is currently in the midst of a Kickstarter campaign for their upcoming title, Her Majesty’s Spiffing, which is a quirky space-based adventure. While the campaign is focused on rewarding PC owning pledgers, there are plans for an iOS release. We took the time to learn more from founder, William Barr.

148Apps: How did Billy Goat Entertainment come about? And why the quirky name?William Barr (WB): The company came about out of necessity seeing as I carelessly decided to leave a job I wasn’t fond of (despite the meagre yet reliable monthly paychecks) and no one else would hire me! As for the name, I’m very much a child of the 90s, a time when every company needed to have some form of anthropomorphic cartoon animal mascot. I’m also incredibly conceited - Billy is of course a common abbreviation of William. These two factors contributed to the choice of name and the fact that we have a Cashmere Goat as our mascot!

The Incidentdeveloper Big Bucket has announced that its next game, Space Age, will be releasing this week on the App Store.

Space Age is described as a 'cosmic adventure' set in the futuristic world of 1976. Following a band of intergalactic explorers who land on Kepler-16, a seemingly uninhabited planet, it's soon discovered that something is very familiar and strange about this planet.

You''ll be able to welcome Space Age into your world pretty soon, with the game set to come out for iOS on November 6th.

UPDATE: Due to the review process taking longer than expected, Space Age is now set to launch on November 13th.

Mochi Bits has released their relaxing yet challenging space-based puzzle game, ORBB. In ORBB, players are tasked with jumping from planet to planet while collecting all of the stars along the way.

While the game has been built to provide a challenge to those who want to race through, with each of the sixty levels having its own achievement for completing it within a set amount of time, players can also choose to relax and take it slow, with the game providing no risk of the player plummeting to their death.

ORBB has already gravitated towards the App Store, and is available for $2.99.